Portable battery-powered devices are advantageous in many environments, but particularly in public safety environments such as law enforcement, fire rescue, and first responder environments. A wide variety of portable battery-powered devices utilized by public safety personnel are worn on or about the body, for example portable radios, mobile phones, tasers, remote speaker microphones, and tracking devices, sensors to name a few. Public safety personnel often utilize a vehicle while carrying and even operating some of these portable battery-powered devices, and as such the ability to charge the devices in an unobtrusive manner without having to remove the device is highly desirable.
Providing charging capability within the limited confines of a vehicle is challenging, particularly when dealing with a plurality of devices worn on or about the body. Additionally, most public safety personnel still need the freedom to access and operate the battery-powered device while the device is being charged.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved approach to in-vehicle charging of battery-powered devices.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.